Sugar Bowl Memories of Archie Manning

[AJE]

Attached file is a 2 minute 49 second audio excerpt of an Oral History interview with Archie Manning. This interview was conducted by Mark Cave of the Historic New Orleans Collection on September 26, 2007. Mr. Manning recalls the season leading up to his first Sugar Bowl game and the significant role of Ole Miss Coach John Vaught.

[batonrougereb]

I grew up an Ole Miss fan in Baton Rouge and have always bled Red and Blue. In 1970 I was still a teenager; I was determined to see that 1970 Sugar Bowl game even though I didn't have tickets. To complicate matters, the game was blacked out on TV in the New Orleans/Baton Rouge area so I came up with a unique plan: I would find the nearest city that I could watch the live broadcast and rent a room with a TV! After a few phone calls I found a clerk at a motel in Hattiesburg (MS) who SWORE that the game would be broadcast live in his area. I next talked an older friend of mine (actually an LSU fan) into driving me to Hattiesburg to watch the game at that local motel (I didn't have my drivers license but I had a job at a grocery store; I paid for the gas and the room and gave my friend $20 spending money); quite a feat of ingenuity for for a couple of teenage boys! The game itself was an offensive explosion: Archie, with his patented roll-out throw or run option, put pressure on the Arkansas defense all day long and played brilliantly. Arkansas, with Bill Montgomery and Chuck Dicus, was no slouch. The game came down to the final minute when, with Ole Miss leading 27-22, Montgomery hit Dicus down to about the Ole Miss 30. Glenn Cannon, Ole Miss' All-American DB, slammed into Dicus, separated the ball, and fell on the fumble to end the Hog threat. The Rebels ran out the clock and Archie was named the Sugar Bowl MVP. The good news: when I got back to Baton Rouge the next day, I was able to watch the game again: there was a tape delay replay of the entire broadcast. In a day when VCRs and DVDs didn't exist I got a double dose of Rebel good fortune!

[danna]

Thanks for uploading the clip. I'm listening to it now.



Regards,
Danna